Club

Judging by her work, Ann M. Martin has absolutely no idea of what a teenager acts like, looks like, and says. I am one and I know that the people in her stupid babysitter books are so unrealistic it isn't even imaginable. Does she realize how much the members of the babysitters club would be teased and tormented if they actually existed in real life??

Little Miss Stonybrook ...And Dawn was okay, It wasn't thrilling, I believe that this is not one of Ann.M.Martins great, thrilling, exciting books. Even if i rate it 4 stars, I guess it was okay. Not Bad. If anyone wants to e-mail me, just copy down the e-mail address above. I have read many other BSC books. And they were all alot better than this one.

They are so great and about the only books I can read with nobad language, and they set examples. Thanks for your time. END

This was a quirky read that combined laughs, Greek Gods, and romance that was fun to read.

Darius the God of Gems has gotten himself into a pickle. He has lived up to his playboy status one to many times and has now been banished for the last 3,000 years by his father Zeus. The only way that he can come home is by breaking the curse that Zeus has put on him which stipulates that he must find a perfect statue in order for him to take on the form of a human. Well, for the last 3,000 years he has not been able to find the perfect body and he has just about given up hope until he finds out about the artist that is working night and day on a statue that would be perfect for him. Problem is there are other plans for this statue and they don't include Darius.

Alex has been working day and night on her masterpiece. She knows that it will bring in a lot of funds for the orphanage that she supports. Imagine her surprise when her statue up and walks off the stage at the auction. Now she has more then just her reputation at stake, she has to deal with a muscle bound hunk that thinks he's a Greek God for goodness sake! Alex's problems don't stop there...not by a long shot. Add to this the fact that she has to prove that she did not steal her own creation, stop Darius from taking jewels from people (remember he is the god of gems) and somehow save her heart at the same time her reputation. Yes, Alex has her work cut out for her.

This was a quirky way to look at the idea of Greek gods. Ms. McKnight has penned a fun story full of interesting secondary as well as primary characters. For a few good laughs and romance you can't beat this book.

If you like to read Sherrilyn Kenyon, Julie Kenner, or Karen Marie Moning you're sure to get your moneys worth out of this book. While it's essentially a light, fluffy read it's still very touching and will have you laughing out loud! Even the divine have ther foibles and favorites. I hope Ms. McKnight plans this book as a first in an entertaing series.

Some days it just does not pay to be a God!

At least, so it seems to Darius, son of Zeus, God of the Gemstones. Darius, a bit of a lover, was known for all his dalliances with married ladies and it is that, which trips the old boy up. Darius' "gift" was his ability to turn himself into a statue... which comes in handy when he is playing footsie with Queen Aara in her bedroom. When King baby pops in startling them, Darius goes into his statue routine to protect the Queen from her jealous husband. Only, the King thinks there is something rotten in Denmark...oops wrong local... something wrong with his wife's statue...so he chops off a part of Darius of which he is rather "fond" and then pushes Darius the stoneman out the window, smashing him to pieces. Patsy Cline's song kept popping into my mind as I read this! Daddy Dearest, Zeus, is not happy with the fate of his son, so curses him to remain bodiless, until he can find the perfect statue to possess and once more grant him the ability to return to mortal form. Well, artistic talent must have been sadly lacking, for it was three millenniums before Darius gets a second chance at breathing. Fortunately, for Darius, fate brings Alexandra de Marco his way.

Alexandra is a brilliant sculptor. She and her sister were orphaned when they were very young, and now she is facing the task of saving the orphanage where they grew up from being closed because of a lack of money. She comes across the history of our boy Darius, God of the Gemstone, and the tale of his marble statue, which had been shattered to pieces. She is so taken with the myth that she turns her talents into creating a statue of the most beautiful man she can, lovingly bringing the marble into the perfect form under her talent. She plans to auction off the brilliant work at the Ladies' Annual Charity Auction and donate the money to the orphanage. It would save the place that sheltered her as a child, while at the same time, be a great PR showcase for her talent.

Only, Darius finally has the means to return to mortal form, little knowing about charities or Ladies Clubs, and he does so right before the stunned audience. While Alexandra is impressed with her creation, she can hardly auction HIM off - though a few might have other ideas...lol. She is furious because she needs that statue to save the orphanage. Darius doesn't give a fig...mainly, because the statue was in the old Greek style - au natural. But the fun begins as Darius finds life in the modern world is a long way from Mt. Olympus.

The writing is witty, quirky and the author shows a deft pen in crafting this wickedly funny tale. So original!! Will definitely be watching for more from this wonderful writer!

i really do not know why mallory wanted to join a club with that pack of nerds. who's with me??? they are, right? maybe she had nothing better to do with her time, i guess, besides writing and watching after her snot-nosed sibs. oh well. the book is completely stupid, by the way. but read it anyway. it's a bsc staple.

Poor Mallory is excited to join the Babysitters Club but doesn't expect them to give her such impossible tests and initiations...

Mallory Pike has decided she wants to join the BSC. But the BSC gives her hard tests, and questions that probably no one in their grade could answer! But then Mallory meets Jessi Ramsey and they become fast friends. Jessi has LONG legs so she dances well in Ballet. Jessi hasn't been treated well because she is black, which is VERY unfair. Jessi and Mallory decide to start their own baby-sitting club. Read the rest to find out!
This book's moral is to treat others well and fairly, or their feelings will be hurt.

it's a good book overall. The part I enjoyed reading the most was about how mallory dyed her hair and wore makeup to look like a "california girl"

This book is funny. What are the odds are that a kid would win the lottery and in an amazing show of generosity treat her friends to a trip across country?

I liked the adult characters. I liked Carol and felt she was at least making a genuine effort. She was not getting a prize in the deal -- who would want Dawn for a step daughter? Who would want Dawn period? She is a spoiled, selfish jerk.

I also got impatient with Jill. She's an infantile character who is barely out of the carriage and I smiled at the description of her -- "13 going on 11." She was an airhead with nothing to say and I found myself really not liking her. I didn't like her in the "California Diaries" series either.

The wedding scene was truly funny. So was the description of each character. I liked Jeff, creepy Dawn's brother. He was funny and believable. He knew what a knucklehead Jill was.

I liked the part when everybody got together on the end, as one could easily have predicted. The dialog, voice and characters are funny and well done.

This book was reaaly good! The girls win a lottery and decide to use the money to go to California. Dawn thinks the woman her dad is dating(Carol)is trying to act like one of them, Morlly is spending all her money on make to look like a california girl, Claudia found her dream guy,Stacy learned how to surf, Jesse get in a fight with her best friend, and much more happen to the girls. To get get the whole story READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!

The first part of the book is a short story, "The clothes they stood up in". A middle-class London couple come home one night to find that their flat has been completely emptied, right down to the toilet roll, and the story describes the effect this loss has on their relationship (such as it is).

The second part, "The lady in the van", is Bennett's account of his relationship (again, such as it is) with a homeless woman who for several years lived in a van parked at first on his street and eventually in his own garden.

While the notes and reviews lead one to expect, as one person put it, "jolly, broad and very English humour", beneath the humour both stories were in fact very sad, about people leading incomplete lives, Bennett himself included. This book is a thought-provoking and worthwhile read.

What a delightful find--these two short stories challenge the reader to think about the meaning of material possessions and what constitutes a home.
The first short story, "The Clothes They Stood Up In," tells of a well-heeled London couple who return to their flat to find everything gone. Everything, even the toilet paper roll--The story chronicles their journey through their stages of grief over the loss of their assets and in many ways, their mutual life.
The second short story is actually true. Bennett, the author, tells the unusual story of a homeless London woman whose van was parked in his driveway for more than fifteen years. At times, it is poignant, humorous, and profound.
The two pieces together make a significant statement on materialism in today's world.
I would recommend this book to individuals who cherish the subtleties of British humor and to those who like short pieces with provocative ideas.

A study on materialism and objects (or lack thereof) this witty, fresh new book was just what the doctor ordered.

From the same author that brought us THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE, Alan Bennett is a master at combining literary greatness with wonderful storytelling. This is a highly unusual tale, guaranteed to bring you enjoyment and a few smiles.

The second story in this "collection," THE LADY IN THE VAN is a modern continuation of the theme explored in the first story. The wit, humor, deftly-drawn characters remind me of those created by McCrae in his BARK OF THE DOGWOOD or possibly those by Boyle (think WATER MUSIC or DROP CITY). At any rate, this is a true gem, not to be missed.

Also recommended: BARK OF THE DOGWOOD and THE FOREST LOVER

How did Dawn change her mind so fast? In California girls, at the end she learned to like carol and said she wouludn't mind if she married her dad, but in this book, she had a problem with it and she booked her own flight back to connecticut. That was very sneaky of her and it does sound like something rebellious a teengar would do for sure. In fact, I liked that part the best even though I don't agree with what she did. I didn't care for the rest of the book.

DAWN ROCKS. She is AWESOME, COOL, and ADMIRABLE for getting on her own flight. That's POSSIBLE. Perhaps sneaking away from problems and stealing from her dad wasn't so good...but every interesting novel has to do with a character making mistakes! Dawn is NOT vain or vapid or self centered or ANYTHING negative AT ALL. She IS THE BEST!!!!! She would NOT make a good target because NO ONE WOULD THROW DARTS AT HER UNLESS THEY WERE SOFT!!! Everyone loves Dawn. I WIN; YOU LOSE. I AM THE ETERNAL VICTOR. DAWN IS ALSO AN ETERNAL VICTOR. END OF STORY.

Get your dart throwing arms, ready to throw some sharp darts at Dawn. She is a crybaby and a snotty brat to boot. I don't like the way Kristy jumps on the crybaby train by bellyaching about not having fame and TV coverage like the BSC's West Coast counterpart. Kristy, for all her bravado is a big crybaby too.

I don't like Dawn. I think she is sneaky and self centered. Stealing her dad's credit card and booking a cross country flight was just too cowardly and irresponsible for words. I was glad she got put on the next plane back to California and was made to pay for the two plane tickets. Serves her right. I think she'd make a good bull's eye in the dart board.

This book had lots of jokes that were funny. HAHAHAHAHA-HEHEHEHE. I love reading this at night because when I get a good laugh it helps me sleep.

This is the best Garfield book ever!I love this book so much I read the book in two days and it has like 300 pages!It has Garfield in the fat line Garfield tons of fun and Garfield bigger and better! If you want these 3 books just get this fat cat 3 pack!

This book is really just one more of Jim Davis's hilarious Garfield books. Of course, the added advantage is that it is 3 books in 1. Funny, witty, satirical, all of the stuff that makes Garfield great!

THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BELLONA CLUB wasn't the best mystery novel that I've ever read, but it was certainly enjoyable enough that I didn't feel I was wasting my energy. The characters are, at times, clichéd, but I was entertained by all of them enough not to be too bothered by any lack of real substance. It's a tale of murder, deceit and money, but is told with enough whimsy to make it fully enjoyable.

Despite some initial false assumptions on my part, the plot managed to keep me mostly surprised much of the time. At first glance, I thought that I was in for a fairly tedious journey, as I wasn't very far into the book when I suddenly figured out what I assumed was a large part of the mystery. Faced with the prospect of having to read through the entire rest of the story pretending not to know how the murderer had gotten away with it, I began to wonder if perhaps the remainder wouldn't be worth reading. To my great surprise, while the portion of the mystery that I figured out was fairly well signposted, it didn't turn out to be as important as I had anticipated, and I was greatly pleased that Lord Peter figured out the puzzle not long after I did. This allowed the story to turn into directions that I hadn't anticipated, and brought me back into the narrative. There are several clever little moments of storytelling that successfully managed to keep my on my toes, which is an ideal situation for any detective story.

This was the first Dorothy Sayers book that I've read, and I was surprised at how much of the story was conveyed purely through the dialog. There is almost no description at all and there were times where it seemed as though I was reading a television or a film script. (Incidentally, this is probably why the series translates so well to visual mediums.) This did contribute to a feeling of triviality, but it did make the book pass by much more quickly. This is not a book to be slowly picked apart, but rather one to be enjoyed quickly, in large gulps. The fast-pace adds to the fanciful flavor and allows the story to rapidly wash over the reader.

I found THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BELLONA CLUB to be a fun and enjoyable, if light, detective adventure. It's a great little piece of fiction to read on a lazy afternoon, and it should be recommended to any fan of mystery novels. A short, and fairly unambitious novel, but definitely quite enjoyable.

This book shows the charming and dry British humor. The setting: an old austere British club in 1928. On Remembrance Day, three men are sitting down to lunch. One notices an old soldier sitting not far away. He has a newpaper in front of him and a drink to his side. He is quite dead, and so the Unpleasantness begins. Wonderful

When Lord Peter Wimsey comes down to the Bellona club to dine with an old friend he little expected to find the 90 year old General Fentiman sitting quietly by the fire in full rigor mortis. Nor, did he expect to be confronted with a case about which one of the General or his sister, Lady Dormer, predeceased the other. But, seeing that it was a matter of some half million pounds he was delighted to oblige old Mr. Murbles, the family solicitor.

It turns out that establishing Fentiman's time of death is going to be a major feat. No one, including his heirs, the staff of the Bellona Club and most of London seems to recall what the General was doing that morning, or when he showed up, opened his newspaper and promptly expired. Worse, what few facts that Wimsey can put together convince him that something was very, very wrong with Fentiman's timely ticking off. Suddenly this is no longer a case of friendly detection but a serious investigation into a murder.

'The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club' was one of Dorothy Sayers' early smash hits. It shows off Wimsey's charming urbanity against the gemlike setting of his friends and cohorts, only striking serious chords when grim necessity rears its monocled head. Wimsey doesn't act quite as foolish as he was prone to in past novels, which makes him likeable as well as witty. The other regular characters have also acquired some extra depth that makes everyone a bit more believable. Everyone but the bit players, of course. Each of those is, as usual, a quick, delightful pastiche, one of Sayers greatest talents.

This is one of Sayers' most memorable books, and, despite a plot that is a little too transparent, is one of her most re-readable. The odd thing about a Sayers mystery story is how unimportant it is whether you know or can guess the murderer. 'Who' is less important than 'how' in these tales, and neither is as important as the balletic interaction of the players, most of whom you would like to find in your sitting room - it you had a sitting room large enough, that is.

This is also the first book that displays Wimsey's softer nature with the ladies. While Marjorie Phelps is not destined to become Lord Peter's great love, we see glints of the Peter to come. He shows a fair and attentive style without a hint of macho that will serve him well in his trials to come. I am tempted to say that, if you don't enjoy this book, there is no hope for you as a Sayers fan. That's not completely true, but ' The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club' is a completely representative Sayers effort and one of my perennial favorites.

A Very disappointed read! I grew up in NYC (Manhattan) and had heard about the 500 Club from my Father, friends and relatives. This book did not do it justice. I could not even stay focused on this it was soooooo boring at times. Unlike Atlantic City should have been in those times. To give the book some credit there were a few interesting tidbits about Joe Di Maggio, Toots Shor, and Sinatra and Crew! It was nothing I could not have learned watching Biography.

You won't be disapointed with this book!!!! The author integrates all of the interesting details of AC in the past 100 years without boring the reader. Any casual reader or historian will love the clever writing style and attention to detail and context of AC - a town with a dynamic history. The tale of Skinny's life and the 500 should be made into a movie!!!!

After reading The Last Good Time, I was prompted to making a trip, now knowing the history of the town that can't really be what it was and is still struggling with where it needs to be in the future (author's forward).

This book does an excellent job of telling the "story" of Atlantic City (& Skinny D'Amato) in a fascinating way! Anyone interested in gambling, nightclubs and Atlantic City.."The Naughty Queen" quote taken from another book on Atlantic City..it's a must read!

Let's be honest - the two most difficult issues when starting a business venture like this would be:
1. Getting your foot in the door (of a world that is so foreign to you that it may as well be OZ) and
2. Money negotiations (how does one actually sit down and talk money with people of this stature)?
Both of these extremely difficult issues are addressed along with so much more.
I found this guide to be an informative read as well as an honest straightforward peak into the world of celebrity fan clubs.

Your guide to starting a celebrity fan club is just the best! It is extremely informative, and the samples that are included were a much appreciated bonus. But, more than any of that -- what made this an incredible read was the motivational writing (the "pep talk if you will")! I really feel like this is something that I CAN do and who knows ... maybe I will get to run that "certain someone's" fan club after all! Thank you so much!!

I've been a member of fan clubs since I can remember being interested in music (quite a long time now)and have always fantasized about running my own club. But how in the world do you start something like that? Well, I recommend this book to guide you. I was so pleased to see examples of letters, contracts and member cards!!!! This truly is a dream come true.